MODERN BARBER INDIA COMPETITION AND AWARDS

Professional Beauty India proudly presented the first edition of the Modern Barber Competition at its Mumbai Show to celebrate creativity and artistry in barbering. The exhibition venue provided the right platform for the competition’s final round, where the competing barbers performed in front of the judges and a live audience. The evening concluded with a dazzling Awards ceremony where the winners took home the Modern Barber trophy, cash prizes, and gifts and vouchers. We bring you glimpses from the exclusive evening.

Visitors of the Professional Beauty India shows benefit from the plenty of takeaways we plan for them in the form of look-and-learn sessions, product demos, interactions with industry experts, latest trends, sourcing and networking opportunities, and much more. However, the 20,000 plus visitors who attended the Mumbai show of PBI were in for a pleasant surprise. As they walked across the arena, they witnessed a busy cordoned-off area where several barbers were hard at work. Their creativity and technical know-how were being evaluated as they diligently worked on their models, strictly adhering to the guidelines given to them. These hardworking artists were barbers who were participants in the Modern Barber India Competition, and they were single-mindedly working for the star attraction of the evening – the Modern Barber India Trophy.

Modern Barber India Competition is a legacy of the Professional Beauty Group. On 30th October and 1st November 2024, this legacy became a part of the Professional Beauty India community. With top experts from the hairdressing fraternity joining the jury panel, the Competition also hosted an active team of on-floor judges. The competition started two months earlier with online entries. The shortlisted contenders, along with their models, were invited to the Professional Beauty India exhibition in Mumbai to participate in the final round. The two categories were Fade Cut and Styling. They were judged on the criteria drawn from international competitions, comprising technical expertise, creativity with cuts, colours and styling, hygiene, presentation, model selection and much more.

Speaking about the competition, JJ Savani said, “It was just amazing to see the level of talent that India has to offer. Be it freshers or experienced barbers, the participants came from all over India. Their passion and love for the industry was absolutely amazing.

The Modern Barber Competition and Awards are very important, not just for the Indian barbering community, but for the entire hair and beauty community. It allows us to showcase the immense skills that Indian hairdressers have. Good talent often gets lost in the crowd. They need such a platform to be found and recognised.

Thanks to Professional Beauty India for giving them this platform to showcase their talent, to get recognition and to inspire others to enter. It’s definitely a platform that’s we needed for a long time. And I’m glad to be a part of the first one.”

Over 20 barbers were shortlisted for the final round. The runners-up and winners of both categories were announced at the event of the competition at the dazzling awards ceremony hosted by Kanishka Ramchandani, Editor, Professional Beauty x Hairdressers Journal.

“The opportunity to showcase my skills and challenge myself among the best inspired me to join. “It was nerve-wracking yet exhilarating, and winning felt like a validation of my passion and hard work.

The ability to transform someone’s look and boost their confidence keeps me passionate about this craft. I’m currently exploring intricate hair designs, precision fades and innovative product techniques,” said Poddar.

Her advice to upcoming artistic barbers is: “Stay curious, practice relentlessly, and never stop learning from those around you.”

Salmani expressed: “I wanted to challenge myself and see how my skills stood up in a competitive setting. Competitions like this push you to be better, and it was also a great chance to learn from other talented stylists.

Performing in front of experts was challenging but also really exciting. It felt amazing to have my work appreciated, and being named runner-up was an honour. It was a big confidence booster and reminded me why I love what I do. I love that barbering is constantly evolving; there’s always something new to learn and perfect. It’s amazing to create styles that make people feel more confident and help them express themselves.”

His advice to upcoming artistic barbers is: “Be patient and practice as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but also remember to listen to your clients – that’s the best way to learn what works and helps build trust.”